Mindfulness means being fully engaged and aware in each moment. When we do this, we focus on what’s important – whether it’s our work, our relationships or simply a conversation we’re engaged in – rather than stressing ourselves out worrying about the future, reliving the past or reacting to whatever might be going on around us.

People are increasingly realising this improves their wellbeing, but not everyone knows that mindfulness also improves productivity and performance at work, and enhances efficiency. This is how.

Unitask

The brain cannot pay attention to two (or more) complex things at once. So when we think we are “multitasking”, we are actually switching our attention between them. And research shows that we lose half a second each time we switch our attention, so we end up wasting a lot of time (think – how many times in a typical day would you switch your attention and if you multiply this by half a second how much time would that be?).

A much better strategy is to focus on one thing at a time, starting with the most important. If you get distracted, just refocus on the task. Or if you’re interrupted with something important, you may need to focus on that. But do one thing at a time.

Turn off notifications

Research shows that when we are doing a complex task and become distracted, it takes an average of 64 seconds to fully refocus on the task. If we do this every five minutes in a 40 hour working week we waste 8.5 hours. That’s a whole day of lost productivity!

Turning off notifications on our computer and phone is one of the best things we can do to improve my productivity (as well as reducing stress and increasing happiness). Try it for one day and see.

Pause between tasks

When we are busy, the temptation is to rush from one task to the next. And to do one thing but think about the 10 other things that we need to do as well. This creates stress and also means we’re not really focused fully on what we’re doing.

To break up the rushing, it is important pause between tasks. Perhaps close your eyes for 10 seconds, let go of tension in the body and bring the attention to the breath. Then open your eyes and get on with the next task.

The VP of Google pauses every time she goes into a meeting (which would be her whole life) and takes a single breath. She calls it her six second mindfulness practice. In that six seconds she lets go of the meeting she was in so she can arrive in the next one fully present.

Communicate mindfully

Quite often we are not really listening when we’re talking others. This is particularly true for people we are familiar with - e.g. family and colleagues. This leads to miscommunication and impaired connection.

Bring your full attention to the people you speak to and noticed a difference it makes to the relationship and to the accuracy of your communication.

Start the day with meditation

Many people start the day checking social media or emails, and rushing through their routine. This sets up a distracted, reactive pattern to the day, increasing stress and reducing productivity.

Starting the day with as little as five minutes of meditation means we begin in a more focused, present way. This means we are more likely today present and focused when we get to our desk, and more likely to notice if we get distracted. Tried doing this for one week and notice the difference.

If you get distracted or stressed during the day, perhaps take a few more minutes to meditate. It’s a great investment in productivity.

Want to learn more about how mindfulness can make you more efficient? Join Dr. Richard Chambers for his upcoming Recharge 4-week Mindfulness and Meditation Course in Melbourne. Full details here.